The present invention relates, generally, to a device for permitting golfers to practice their golf swing and at the same time measure the impact velocity as it would relate to distance, while at the same time giving him a measured indication of the relative distance the ball would have travelled if it were free.
Previously, many devices have been developed for permitting golfers to practice the hitting of the golf ball which is tethered by a form of a linkage secured to a ground stake or similar structure. For example, an example of known devices using a golf ball tethered to a ground stake is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,095,798. Another form of a golf practice device using a golf ball secured to a base supported on a stake driven into the ground is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,981,508. One of the disadvantages of these known practice devices is they are not provided with any means for relatively measuring the distance of the ball after it is hit to give the golfer an indication of how well the ball was hit by a club. Another disadvantage of the known devices lies in the manner of securing the golf ball to the anchor. In all these devices, the ball is secured by a linkage which permits the ball to rotate about the anchor after the ball is hit. Such an arrangement does not permit the golf ball to travel in a straight line as directed by the club head impact. In other words, as soon as the ball supported by the known device is hit, it begins to deviate away from the direction of the club head impact. Another disadvantage of these devices is that if your swing is outside of the impact area your club head may hit the core of the device and be damaged. In other embodiments that ball is connected to a long cord (tether) which could whiplash after impact and must be manually retrieved after such impact.